Figures released today by the Office of National Statistics show that in July unemployment had its largest annual fall in 25 years, with youth unemployment seeing its steepest annual fall since records began 30 years ago. In the Chipping Barnet constituency, the number of people claiming Jobseekers Allowance was down by 561 this year compared to July 2013.
Welcoming these figures, Theresa Villiers MP said, "This shows that the Conservatives' long term economic plan is working with 1.8 million jobs created since the Coalition took office in May 2010. That means many thousands more people with the security of a pay packet to support their families, including significant numbers of my constituents here in Barnet. It's also welcome news that there are now more women in work in this country than ever before."
"We have achieved this by backing business with better infrastructure and lower taxes and by working to provide the best schools and skills for young people. We have also reduced taxes on jobs to encourage companies to take on more employees. The Conservative-led Government has given every small business in the country a £2000 tax allowance for employer National Insurance and soon companies that give jobs to under 21s will pay no employer NI on those employees at all. It's also the case that record numbers of apprenticeships have started since this Government took office because we are determined to give young people the skills they need to succeed and get a good start in life."
"Many of my constituents felt the pinch of Labour’s Great Recession which saw almost a million people lose their jobs in 2008 and 2009. Times are still tough for many but the biggest risk would be to abandon our plan which has seen the deficit reduced by a third, and helped so many people back into work. Ed Miliband is not up to the job. His wild predictions are short-term and would take us back into a recession. The Conservatives are on the right track, but there is much more to do before we deal with the deficit we inherited from Labour and fix our broken economy."